Monday, February 23, 2026

Kat Richardson (Colby Natasha Nixon) checked on her brother, Congressman Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon), and his husband, Bradley “Smitty” Smith (Mike Manning). Samantha Richardson-Smith (Najah Jackson), Martin Richardson and Smith’s daughter, admitted that she was overwhelmed trying to balance her extracurricular activities while coping with her grandmother, Anita Dupree’s (Tamara Tunie), cancer diagnosis. The congressman stepped in and called his daughter’s teacher to request an extension for her project.

Naomi Hamilton-Hawthorne (Arielle Prepetit) wrestled with the urge to contact her husband, Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges). She instead ran into Lynette Wise (Dominique Madison), who asked her to send Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) well wishes after Lawson was mugged. Wise briefly crossed paths with ex-lover Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry) before Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom) arrived, frustrated that there hadn’t been any real progress in identifying Lawson’s alleged mugger.

Anita Dupree updated her daughters, Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) and Nicole Dupree (Daphnée Duplaix), about her dizzy spell at the country club and shared that she plans to interview with Gayle King. Meanwhile, Police Chief Elon Hawthorne (Malachi Malik) made a call to Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) to report that Lawson’s supposed mugger had been apprehended. Lawson was internally shaken, knowing the mugging was staged. Bill Hamilton then informed Armstrong of the arrest.

June (Jasmine Burke) had overheard the suspect’s name, Wesley Hammer (Jahmone Duhaney), who insisted that he was not capable of committing such a crime. Parker later met with his cousin (Lawson) to discuss Wise securing a suspect, as Lawson began to realize the situation was escalating beyond her control.

Chelsea Hamilton (RhonniRose Mantilla) thanked her father, Bill Hamilton, for his donation that helped relocate her fiancé, Dr. Madison Montgomery’s (Kenjah McNeil), fellowship to D.C.

The Dupree family gathered at Vernon and Anita Dupree’s home to watch Anita Dupree’s interview before it aired. Elsewhere, Hawthorne received a reward after passing a loyalty test connected to his undercover assignment and prepared for his first pickup.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Bill Hamilton and Lawson returned home after temporarily relocating due to Lawson’s staged mugging. The criminal defense attorney surprised Lawson with flowers “just because,” attempting to reestablish normalcy. As they talked, the focus turned to Hammer’s arrest. Lawson wrestled with guilt over accusing him, even as she continued maintaining the narrative.

She also encouraged her husband to take over Wise’s legal case, presenting it as repayment for Wise “saving her life.” Bill Hamilton remained unaware of the larger conspiracy involving Lawson, Wise and Parker.

Meanwhile, Hammer was released from holding and brought to Armstrong to address the accusations. Hammer denied any involvement in the mugging. Armstrong agreed to help him get out of town to prevent further trouble, but the mob boss remained curious about what actually happened. June vouched for Hammer’s character, reinforcing Armstrong’s belief that there was more to uncover.

At Orphey Gene’s, Kat Richardson and Samantha Richardson-Smith spent time bonding. Richardson-Smith shared that Donnell McBride (Alex Cheeks) will be escorting her to the upcoming cotillion. Kat Richardson reacted with excitement, while June expressed cautious concern about the pairing. Kat Richardson reassured her that McBride has the family’s support.

Later, Kat Richardson met her boyfriend, Tomas Navarro (Alex Alegria), at Uptown. Navarro shared his growing suspicions about Lawson’s recent behavior, noting that certain details surrounding the mugging do not add up.

Elsewhere, Donnell McBride spoke with his mother, Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli), and confirmed that he will escort Richardson-Smith to the cotillion. The decision heightened the ongoing Dupree and Belleclaire rivalry, especially when Francesca Belleclaire (Madison Alsobrook) learned of the duo. Richardson–Smith and Donnell McBride later connected as they discussed plans for the event.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

At Uptown, Kat Richardson and Navarro continued their earlier conversation, which turned to the possibility of moving in together. Kat Richardson joked that she’s “unhoused,” explaining that with her cousin, Chelsea Hamilton, and Montgomery preparing to marry, she doesn’t want to be a third wheel and has no desire to move back in with her mother. Navarro made it clear he doesn’t want to be her last resort. After discussing what living together would mean in the long term, Kat Richardson decided she would find her own place.

Eva Thomas (Ambyr Michelle) met her mother, Leslie Thomas (Trisha Mann-Grant), at Orphey Gene’s to finalize details for the clinic opening. Despite Leslie Thomas’ distracted nature, her daughter kept the discussion focused. Leslie Thomas encouraged her daughter to leave her job working for her father, Dr. Ted Richardson (Keith Robinson), and join the clinic. Eva Thomas later spoke with Derek Baldwin (Ben Gavin), who agreed to work at the clinic as long as he reports directly to her. He got hired.

Jacob Hawthorne updated his father, Elon Hawthorne, on his undercover assignment. Concerned, the police chief later asked Hamilton-Hawthorne, his son’s wife, to subtly suggest to her husband that he may be in over his head. Hamilton-Hawthorne reassured him that she trusts her husband to do his job and trusts Chief Hawthorne to protect him.

While undercover, Jacob Hawthorne was approached by someone attempting to take his watch, but he handled the situation with ease. Shortly after, he ran into his brother, Izaiah Hawthorne (Lami Friebe), in an alley, prompting concern that Izaiah Hawthorne might be slipping back into old habits. Izaiah Hawthorne insisted he was only getting food and remarked that his brother seemed tense and out of place. The undercover cop asked his brother not to tell Hamilton-Hawthorne that they saw each other.

At the hospital, Shanice Johnson (Ernestine Johnson) surprised Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) with a gift honoring her nursing anniversary. Baldwin shared news of his new position at the clinic, and Johnson expressed her support.

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Fairmont Crest reacted to Anita Dupree’s interview with Gayle King, where she publicly shared her cancer diagnosis and spoke about finding strength through the journey. At the country club, Anastasia Belleclaire (Timeca Seretti) offered insincere remorse, but the Dupree matriarch shut her down while Vernon Dupree threatened to revoke her membership.

Hamilton-Hawthorne watched the interview with Morgan, who pushed the undercover cop’s wife to tell her family about testing positive for the BRCA gene. Hamilton-Hawthorne insisted that it’s her choice, though she was clearly overwhelmed as she navigated her husband’s move out and feared their last intimate moment might truly be their last. She agreed to consider telling her family.

Eva Thomas updated her mother on Baldwin joining the clinic and recent donations, but her mother became fixated on the Duprees dominating attention online and decided to rush her clinic announcement. She made unsuccessful attempts around town to secure help before deciding to move forward on her own.

Kat Richardson, Nicole Dupree and Laura Peterson (Destiny Love) discussed Leslie and Eva Thomas’ roles in Peterson’s accident. Kat Richardson refused to forgive them, while Nicole Dupree and Peterson acknowledged that Eva Thomas seems remorseful.

After watching her mother’s interview, Dani Dupree and her husband, Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman), reflected on love and marriage before dismissing Leslie Thomas when she showed up to their house, demanding their help. Andre Richardson later reassured his wife about her parenting.

The episode ended with Kat Richardson confronting Leslie Thomas, vowing to make her answer for what she had done to Peterson.

Friday, February 27, 2026

Nicole Dupree and her ex-husband, Ted Richardson, ran into each other at the hospital, where he was surprised to learn that he was unaware of Anita Dupree going public with her diagnosis. His ex-wife made it clear that he is no longer part of the inner circle, though she apologized for saying so. Their conversation shifted to the anniversary of Peterson’s accident, with Dr. Dupree expressing concern about how their business savvy daughter had been handling everything.

Kat Richardson and Leslie Thomas also continued their heated, verbal confrontation at Orphey Gene’s, with Leslie Thomas repeatedly taking shots at the “ChelseaKat” creator’s mother, Dr. Dupree. Eva Thomas attempted to defuse the situation, but tensions remained high. Kat Richardson stormed off, telling Eva Thomas’ boyfriend, Izaiah Hawthorne, “Don’t come crying to her,” when he got close to the Thomas women, and it blew up in his face.

At Uptown, Chelsea Hamilton and her cousin attempted to meet about business, but Chelsea Hamilton was more focused on her wedding plans. Kat Richardson was not in the mood to celebrate and instead revealed that she will be moving out. The conversation escalated into a heated argument that completely blew the cousin duo apart.

Meanwhile, Eva Thomas apologized to her boyfriend for her mother’s inappropriate behavior. Their conversation deepened, and Eva Thomas flashed back to the accident, clearly carrying guilt. Izaiah Hawthorne stated that people cannot move forward while holding onto secrets, and he referenced how his ex-girlfriend had once kept things from him.

Leslie Thomas later encountered Nicole Dupree at the hospital and tried to provoke her by calling her “Naughty Nikki,” but Dr. Dupree remained unfazed.

“Beyond the Gates” airs on CBS at 2 p.m. EST Monday through Friday.